One of the most intriguing features to screen at EIFF 2025 was ISLANDS, an atmospheric drama from director Jan-Ole Gerster. Set on a luxurious island resort, the film explores the uneasy tension between pleasure and loneliness – asking whether escape is ever truly possible, even in paradise.
Film lovers won’t have to wait long to revisit its world: ISLANDS will be released in UK & Irish cinemas on 12 September 2025 via BFI Distribution.
At the Centre of Paradise, Something Feels Wrong
Tom works as a tennis coach at an isolated luxury hotel, drifting through the days with alcohol and casual encounters. His routine is disrupted by the arrival of the Maguire family – Anne, her husband Dave and their teenage son Anton. Tom finds himself strangely drawn to Anne, convinced they have met before, although neither can place when or where.
As their connection deepens, unease begins to surface. One night, Dave disappears and a police investigation is launched. Suspicion soon falls on both Anne and Tom, raising the unsettling question of what really happened – and what has been left unspoken between them.
A Film About Escaping – and the Cost of Running Away
Director Jan-Ole Gerster describes ISLANDS as a meditation on loneliness, longing and the illusion of escape:
“The principle of vacation is a temporary escape from reality… but what happens to those who try to live in an Endless Summer?”
The film uses the island itself as a metaphor — a volcanic environment colliding with artificial hotel architecture and endless holiday entertainment. This harsh and beautiful landscape mirrors the emotional isolation of characters who long for connection but cannot quite reach it.
The EIFF 2025 screening of ISLANDS proved how effective quiet storytelling can be. The restrained direction is elevated by atmospheric background music and subtle, compelling performances that add emotional weight to every interaction. Slow-burning and beautifully acted, the film leaves a lingering sense of unease — and confirms Jan-Ole Gerster as a filmmaker to watch.
